Edge Skills Centre Inc

About St. Vital

The Community of Saint Vital has twelve different neighbourhoods. The population ranges from the upwardly mobile and wealthy to those with high needs.

The three neighbourhoods of St. George, Lavallee, and Worthington are home to many people who live in poverty. Statistical figures from the previous Canadian Census show:

22% live below the poverty line

42% of the population have not completed high school

14% of the population in these three neighbourhoods is Aboriginal

Upwards of 47% of these households are single-parent families, and many of the single parents are mothers who are either on income assistance or low income earners.

St. Vital has the unfortunate distinction of having the highest rate (20.5%) of child poverty in a primarily suburban ward. (Manitoba Child Poverty Report Card).

St. Vital also has a high number of immigrant families, most of whom are refugees. Besides the challenges of language and culture, many of these immigrants discover that their qualifications and employment histories are not recognized in Canada. Immigrants may also struggle to understand and find opportunities in the Canadian labour market.

Our community is home to many of the city’s neediest families and individuals, and a large number of them become participants in the Victor Mager Job Re-entry Program.